Ball game



May 26, 1931. w. B. CRAIGHEAD BALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1950 Hag.

TTRNEX May 26, 1931- w. B. CRAIGHEAD I 1,806,613

BALL GAME Filed Jan. 2, 1930 2 sheets-shea "2 IN VENTo.-

Patented May 26, 1931Y Y' lUNITED STAT-,EAS

PATENT OFFICE i WALTER '13. CRAIGHEA'D; or s'r. PAUL, MINNESOTA :BALL GAME 'Application filed January V2, 1930. Aserial no.' 417,533.

My invention relates Vto game devices rin general and more particularly vto a baseball game device involving certain electric signal or display means so manipulated and operated as to simulate areal game of baseball. The players need no practice to play the game, a knowledge of the game as played by regulation teams, however, being necessary.

The object'of the invention is. to provide a baseball game device of such construction and use that the contestants may play a regulation baseball game of nine or moreinnings by the use of a `common steel ball, the rolling of which causes successive plays to be made in such a way as to imitate a real ball game and the successive playsbeingfentirely unknown limited number of electric circuit closing means used during the playing of the game.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ason line 4,-4 in Fig.` 1 omitting the electric circuits'. u i v Referring to the drawingsrby reference nu; merals and letters, my 'device preferably of box-like construction, but bottomless, having a low front wall 5,'higher side walls 6, a rear wally?, a removable coverS preferably retained between the side andrear walls, and 9 isan angular, xed front panel extending forward anddownward between the side walls to the top of the front walll 5.1 Theb'ox described Ymaybeelevated from a floor or table surfacelOby corner props or legszlLl I -The cover 8 as stated is removable,being fixed on `vspacer supports "12 (seevFig. 4).,l secured to a-fixed plate `13jbetween the side walls 6 and under the plate 8. 1 The cover v8 may be painted with a main'fieldof green on which is painted in contrastingcolors the run.- waysl comprising Va baseball diamond and other markings as hereinafter described, said "LF left-field, and SSv short stop, all incorrect relative positions corresponding to a6 the three base positions 1B, 2B and 3B are `of the box and is ofcourse out of sight diamond being designatedwD in 1. The

cover 8 is a plurality ofopenings 14, singly and in'groups in predetermined places designating players positions and plays according to location Vof `a'baseball asdetermined step by step 1n the playing of the game. In each laperture 14 is an electric bulb 15 removably fixed in a socket 16 fixed to platel and all in electric circuitfmeans and illuminatedat certain times by. circuit closing means hereinafter described. Said bulbs are colored in predetermined positions, :that is, Asome are green, some redv and some white or yellow. I

A To facilitate description the Vvarious. positions of apertures 14 on plate 8 are designated 65 vbyletters, or combinations of letters or letters and numerals.` Thus HP'means home plate, 1Bis first'base, 2B second base, 3B third base, FL foul line, RFvright field, GFcenter field,

regulation baseball vfield approximately and Vreadily'understood by any person familiar with baseball games and fields. At each'ofVV three apertures 14, one with a green bulb, one with a red bulb and one with a'white bulb.

Thepfront part of cover 8 isshown provided with a hole 17 through which af metal ball 18 is dropped to make a playin the pro- .cess of playing baseball game, said ball dropping on the upper part of a rearwardly and downwardlyinclined fixed fioor19 on which the ball rolls toward the rear part and its course unknownY until it rolls Aoff ofthe. rearredge-of floor 19 into one cfa series of pockets P fixed to rearwall 7, said pockets comprising a series of vertical pariallel walls 20 spaced equidistant along the entire rearpart of the box, all said walls having lower4 edges in a common rearwardly and downwardly .directed plane normally closed l by` al hinged metal plate 2.1 hinged jat :its upper edge on la pin` or bar 22, journaled in the side walls 6 (see Fig. 3) Said hinge plate is energized by'wire connection 23 toa battery 24 (Fig. .3) or through cable 23C to an electirc wall socket 25.. Inthe rear part 0f each pocket'l? is fixed a downwardly direct- .,100

ed metal contact plate 26 also in electric circuit with wire 27, the lower edge of each contact plate or tongue 26 being in spaced relation but close to the lower free edge of the hinge plate 21. 1t will be readily seen that when the ball 18 rolls into any of the pock ets P it closes circuit between plates 21 and 26 of said pocket lighting up al certain bulb for each said pocket. Certain plays will presently be described to illustrate the procedure in playing a baseball game.

28 is a. circuit opening reach rod mounted longitudinally and slidably within the box and protruding trom the front part thereof in a handle 28H, the inner end of said rod pivotally connected at 29 to the hinge plate 21.

30 is a coil spring about rod 28 between a fixed bracket 31 and a collar 32 on the rod, under compression, and normally but yieldingly pressing rod 28 rearward and holding plate 21 in pocket-closing forward position, it being understood that plate 21 closes all the pockets P simultaneously. A pull on handle 28H rocks plate 21 allowing ball 18 to drop onto a return plate 33 fixed in the lower part of the bor; and inclined `forwardly where it terminates in upwardly opening pocket 331D in which the ball stops and is accessible for further use.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 31.1. is a panel on plate 9 adapted to receive a baseball score card 35 on which may be recorded the various plays, runs, final scores, etc., made during the playing of the game, a. complete game being designated on the card shown in Fig. 1.

35A in Figs. 1 and 2 .shows a multiple switch plate having three independent switches 36A, 36B and 36C all in circuit and connected via circuit wires, as 37 in Fig. 3, respectively to the red bulbs 15 in the base positions 1B, 2B and 3B, one such bulb in Fig. 3 being designated 15B. in Fig. 3 and 1 and in circuit.

To illustrate the procedure in playing the game it will be assumed` that one contestant drops a ball 18 into the device and said ball rolls into a circuit-closing pocket designat ed P3 in Fig. 3. Circuit is closed through wire 27 through light at LF (left field in Fig. 1) and simultaneously to white light designated 151V, indicating that a player hit to left field and ran to second base on the hit. i

To record position of the imaginary player the contestant closes switch 36B whichilluminates the red bulb 15B at second base position (2B) circuit being closed through wires 37 (see Fig. 3). Then the ball is released and the white lights at LF and 2B are extinguished but the red light at 2B remains on.

The group of bulbs 15X in lower right part of the field (Fig. 1) may be in circuit to signal successive strikes, balls or outs of. i1nagi nary players listed on the score card.

tenacia Obviously the switches 36A, 36B and 36C are manipulated to designate the positions of various imaginary players on the bases. In Fig. 1 the bulb designated FB indicates a foul-ball or the bulbs at FL indicate a so called foul-ball to right or left past the 1B or 3B positions. Y

In Fig. 3 the pocket P2 when circuit is closed therethrough by the ball causes RF bulb 15 to be illuminated andsmultaneously a bulb 15G at 1B position also illuminated which may indicate the imaginary player struck the ball to right field but was out at first base. i

1t is now clear that almost every conceivable kind of play in baseball can be designated during the playing of this game. The number and kinds of plays are only limited by the number of circuit closing pockets 21 and it is also clear that the progress of the game simulates the progress of a real baseball game and holds the interest of the players at all times. Full nine inning games may be played, the players using the ball 18 alternately for the respective teams they choose to represent, for example, imaginary teams representing towns designated as Yorktown and Newburg on the score card 35 in Fig. 1.

In actual use this game device has sometimes worked so as to play tie-games of more than nine innings or long games terminating in very close scores of one or two run margins.

An attractive feature in this game is its uncertainty as will be readily understood because a contestant after each drop of the ball 18 does not know what the next play will be until the ball closes circuit in any one oft' the pockets B and'causes illumination of one or more bulbs positively unknown in advance because the course of the ball down the inc-line 19 can not be observed.

This game device is primarily intended to be designed for playing a game simulating a baseball gaine but it is obvious that the playing field 8 and the positions designated by the bulbs of various colors and in various positions may be designed to simulate other games or entirely new games but in all of them the principles of construction and the operation are such as have been fully described herein. In other words the circuit closing and opening means are herein embodied in principle but the gaines played may be varied and details of construction considerably varied without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A game device of the class described comprising a box-like cabinet with a horizontal upper plate, the surface of which is designed in simulation of a playing field, said plate provided with a predetermined number of apertures, a secondaryplate under said .first plate and a number of electric bulbs, in

circuit, mounted thereon each to be exposed 1n one of said apertures, a source of electric current, a plurality of` circuit closing pockets each with a circuit closing member connected to certain of said bulbs, a hinged common y circuit closing member in circuit and piv-` otally mounted onan axis parallel relation to said circuit closing means in the pockets, I

all said latter means being in'an upright common plane and the common circuit vclosing device comprising a .plate extending normally in inclined position toward said first members but spaced therefrom in V-formation, an inv-` clined fixed plane within the box with'its lower edge above said hinged circuit plate and its other edge fixed in the forward part.

of the boxv under the secondary plate, said` upper plate provided with an aperture to drop a metal ball through and onto said inclinedV plane, said ball adapted to close circuit in any of said pockets whengravitating thereinto and cause illumination of a bulb or `bulbs as the case'vmaybe, and retrieving means'adaptedto release said ball from circuit closing position.

2. The structure specified in claim 1 and a secondary group of bulbs andy apertures `Vprovided therefor inthe top plate', independ-V ent circuit control means for said latter bulbs to register certain plays designated on the playing field. v

3. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said ball retrieving means comprises an inclined plane in the device directed members and r' and spring means actuating said common circuit closing plate normally to Vposition'toward the alined circuit closing means in said pockets, a retracting rod connected to saidv Y plate and extending through the'cabinet'forwardly and projecting outwardly thereof, v

said rod adapted to be pulled to rock said circuit plate awayv from the fixed-circuit forth.

5. The Vstructure specified in claim 1 in whichsaidcabinet is formed with "a' front panelin an inclined plane,'an'd score indieating means on said panel.- y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VALTER B. CRAIGHEAD pockets for the purpose set y 

